يا خَليليَّ إِن تَسيرا فَجوزا
أَرضَ دمياطَ فَهيَ إِحدى الجنانِ
O my dear friend, if you go to Damietta
It is one of the heavens
وَاِقصداها فَإِنّها ذاتُ ثَغرٍ
ذي اِبتِسامٍ مُبشّرٍ بِالأَماني
Head for it, for it has a charming smile
That gives glad tidings and security
وَاِدخُلاها فَإِنّها دونَ رَيبٍ
ذاتُ أَمنٍ لِخائِفٍ وَأَمانِ
Enter it, for surely it is without doubt
A secure refuge for one in fear
حَيثُ فيها لِلفَضلِ كَعبَةُ علمٍ
وَبِها لِلمعالِ رُكنٌ يَماني
Wherein is a shrine of knowledge for the virtuous
And a pillar of support for the noble
فَهوَ أُستاذنا الإِمامُ عليٌّ
كَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَجهَهُ كُلَّ آنِ
He is our professor, the Imam Ali
May God honor his face always
يَمِّماهُ وَبَلِّغاهُ سَلاماً
مِن مَشوقٍ إِلى اللّقا وَالتّداني
Send him my greetings, and convey to him
A longing for meeting and intimacy
ثُمَّ عَنّي اِلثُما شَريفَ يَديهِ
ثُمَّ عودا بِذِكرِهِ عَلِّلاني
Then kiss his noble hands for me
Then return and speak of him and delight me
وَعَليَّ اِتْلوا الأَلذَّ لِسَمعي
وَلِعَقلي وَمُهجَتي وَجَناني
And recite to me the sweetest to my hearing
And my mind, my passions and my soul
مِن خِصالٍ كَريمَةٍ وَمَزايا
وَصِفاتٍ حَميدَةٍ وَحِسانِ
Of his noble traits, virtues and fine qualities
And praiseworthy attributes and kindness
وَجَمالٍ مُجمَّلٍ بِجَلالٍ
وَكَمالٍ لَقَد خَلا عَن مُدانِ
Beauty adorned with majesty
Perfection unmatched indeed
وَسَجايا شَريفَة لا تُضاهَى
هِيَ في ذا الإِمامِ فَرد الزّمانِ
Noble qualities that none can equal
Found in this Imam, unmatched of his time
بَحرُ عِلمٍ وَكَنزُ كلّ غَريبٍ
مِن نُكاتٍ بَديعَةٍ وَمَعانِ
An ocean of knowledge, treasure of all things rare
Of elegant subtleties and meanings
فاضِلُ الوقتِ عالِمُ العَصرِ فَرداً
عارِفُ الدّهرِ وَهوَ شَيخُ الأوانِ
Excellent in his time, scholar of the age, unmatched
Knower of times, he is the sheikh of eras
شَمسُ عِلمٍ مِنها البدورُ اِستَمَدَّت
خَيرَ نورٍ كَالفضلِ وَالعِرفانِ
Sun of knowledge, from it the stars drew
The best light, like merit and gnosis
علمٌ مُفردٌ لَهُ الفتحُ نادى
أَنّهُ مُختصٌّ بِرَفعِ الشانِ
Singular knowledge, for it conquest proclaimed
That it is unique in raising rank
أَلمَعِيٌّ وَجَهبَذٌ لَوذَعيّ
أَوحَدِيّ ما إِنْ لهُ الدّهرَ ثانِ
Shining, courageous, intrepid, unique
The ages have not one like him
نُخبَةُ العزِّ بَهجَةُ المَجدِ حُسناً
نَفحَةُ الفَخرِ رَوضةُ الإحسانِ
Quintessence of honor, joy of glory, beauty
Breath of pride, garden of benevolence
إِنّما المَجدُ وَالأَماجِدُ عينٌ
هوَ فيها لا رَيبَ كالإنسانِ
Glory and triumphs are but the essence
He is in them, without doubt, like a human
وَالمَعالي وَأَهلُها مِثل جِسمٍ
هوَ فيهِ كَالرّوحِ ثمَّ الجنانِ
And the heights and their people are like a body
He is in it like the soul and the heavens
ذو نِظامٍ بِحِكمَةٍ لا تُضاهَى
ذو بَيانٍ يَحوزُ سِحرَ البيانِ
Of wondrous wisdom and incomparable eloquence
With meanings that dazzle brilliant minds
بِمَعانٍ تَبدو سُلافَ عُقولٍ
وَمَبانٍ كالدّرِّ وَالمَرجانِ
And insights like pearls and coral
If he were seen by a Christian or a Sabian
لَو رَآهُ قسٌّ وسَحبانُ كانا
مِثلَما باقِلٌ لَدَى سَحبانِ
They would be like Bakil to Sahban
He is a light for religion, and he is Al-Khafaji
هوَ نورٌ لِلدّينِ وَهوَ الخَفاجي
فيهِ ذِكرُ الشّهابِ طول الزَّمانِ
His name lasts as long as time
So glory to Damietta which contains one whose like
فَخرُ دُمياطَ حَيثُ إِن قَد حَوَت مَنْ
قَلَّ في مِثلِهِ سَماحُ الأَوانِ
Is rare in the days of time
He is its pride, so through him let its glory
هوَ فيها عَزيزُ مصر وَفيهِ
فَلتطل فَخرَها عَلى البلدانِ
Shine upon all other cities
O most high of all people in worth and station
يا عَليَّ الأنام قدراً وجاهاً
وَمقاماً وَاِسماً بِكلِّ مَكانِ
And abode and name in every place
And perfection, rank, minaret and pillar
وَكَمالاً وَرُتبَةً وَمَناراً
وَجَناباً مُشيَّد الأَركانِ
Of lofty structure
Through you a fragrance spreads like musk
بِكَ صيتٌ كَالمِسكِ ضمّخَ طيباً
كُلَّ مَن في الأَكوانِ وَالأكوانِ
Pervading all creation
With the stringing of this poem I have adorned my neck
مِن حِسانِ النّظيمِ قلّدتَ جيدي
بِرَداحٍ مِن غَوالي الغَواني
With a necklace of ghawali beads
I am the daughter of lonely thought reared
بِنتُ فِكرٍ يَتيمَةٍ قَد تَغَذَّت
مِن بَليغِ البَديعِ بِالأَلبانِ
On the milk of the eloquent nursling
She came to me walking with a swaying gait
قَد أَتَتني تَميسُ مَيْسَ عَروسٍ
بِقَوامٍ يِهتَزُّ كَالخَيزُرانِ
Like a fresh branch quivering
When she came I served her with a maiden
إِذ أَتَتني أَخدمتها بِفَتاةٍ
ما لَها مِثلٌ في الجَواري الحِسانِ
Who has no equal among lovely maidens
I wedded her to you, happily praising
زِنتَها في مَديحِك السّامرِ حُسناً
بِثَمينِ اللّآلِ وَالعقيانِ
With fine gold and peridot
I give her to you not reluctantly but joyfully
هاكَها غَيرَ كارِهٍ بَل رَضيّاً
وَاِكسُها حلّةَ الرّضا وَالتّداني
Robing her in consent and intimacy
And I bequeath to life pleasant and carefree
وَاِسلَمِ الدّهرَ ناعِمَ العَيشِ رَغداً
بِهَناءٍ وَبَهجَةٍ وَأَمانِ
With bliss, delight and peace
Such as the doves never sung in the branches
ما تَغَنّى عَلى الغُصونِ حَمامٌ
كُلَّ حينٍ بِأَحسنِ الأَلحانِ
At all times with the best melodies
And the morning hand never plucked
وَاِستَمالَت يَدُ الصَّبا كلَّ قدٍّ
مِن قُدودِ الزّهورِ وَالأَغصانِ
All the blooms and branches
By your humble servant Nu'man
